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Stephen Colbert
Welcome in here, out there, all around the world to THE Late show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. Folks, it is no denial. It is cold out there and it is cold in here. I hope everyone in the audience has remembered to find an audience buddy in case you need to cut them open and crawl inside for warmth. And it's not just here. All over America, temperatures have plunged this week in a phenomenon meteorologists have dubbed winter. Haven't had one of those for a while. How cold is it? Well, some parts of the country are expecting wind chills as cold as as -60 in what's being described as an Arctic blast. That is one of the highest levels of cold. It goes frigid, glacial arctic blast and your wife's feet at bedtime. Why won't she just wear socks. Cold. Love you, honey. Cold is everywhere. With below zero wind chills as far south as Arkansas, Texas, and of course, yeah, Texas. And of course, when it gets this cold, not everything is bigger in Texas. He's referring to an anus. It may be nice. That's nice. That was an improvement. I didn't. I never saw that before. That's very nice. It may be cold in New York, but midtown Manhattan is also the center of a red hot controversy over something called congestion pricing. You see, last month, New York put a toll on most vehicles entering Manhattan's central business district from 5am to 9pm to cut traffic and emissions. And it's working. January saw a 7.9% reduction in traffic. And according to the governor's office, Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking. Or, yeah. Or as the New York Times put it, hey, people are walking here. Now, obviously this seems like a good thing. So Donald Trump ruined it. Yesterday he posted congestion pricing is dead, Manhattan and all of New York is saved. Long live the king. Yes, the classic domain of an all powerful king. Yes, it's what all kings do. Regulate local toll roads. Behold, Camelot has been sa for I have pulled Excalibur from the median strip of the Cross Bronx Expressway. So the President of these United States has called himself a king, which is the thing presidents are not supposed to do. Then White House social media posted this image with Trump wearing a crown. So yeah, yeah, I agree. But you know, he's trolling us and we shouldn't take the bait. But with this guy, every troll is a trial balloon. So Here we go, Mr. Trump. America will never bow before any king not named Burger. For he hath made us all part of the royal family.
Al Roker
And we, we.
Stephen Colbert
And we hunger for onion R. That's how I like them. Ice cold. Thank you, my liege. Trump's royal decree did not go over too well. With New York Governor and dad's third wife watching the way he says goodbye to the babysitter, Kathy Hochul. Governor Hochul immediately said congestion pricing wouldn't end posting. The cameras are staying on. Governor, I love your defiance, but you know Trump loves cameras. This just means he's going to do his next press conference. Strapped to the hood of a Camry at her press conference, Hochul took it to King Don. At 1:58pm, President Donald Trump tweeted, long live the King. I'm here to say New York hasn't labored under a king in over 250 years.
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We sure as hell are not going to start now. She's right. Our founding fathers rejected monarchy so hard, it invented hip hop. What's that dance? What's that dance? I don't know what that is. So what is that dance? I didn't recognize that dance. So. So who's right? Well, Trump's team claims he can end the program because the federal government has jurisdiction over highways leading to Manhattan. Nice try, but I've driven into Manhattan many times, and that stretch of highway was adopted by Westie Self Storage. Thank you for your storage, Westie. So, Westie, Westie. The kind of dog is a West. Feds already approved the program last year anyway, and the federal government cannot unilaterally terminate a program once it's begun. To put that in layman's terms, we already said yes to the dress. Kleinfeld doesn't get to have it back. We're wearing it to the wedding, dancing all night in it, and then saving it for our daughter who will hate it. While Trump is busy cosplaying as the czar of the Lincoln Tunnel, Elon Musk is in charge at Doge. Despite the fact that in recent court filings, the White House claims that Elon Musk is not in charge at Doge. Maybe. Maybe he's not. Maybe Doge is so chaotic, no one's in charge of it. It's just like they taped two samurai swords to the hands of the floppy guy at the car wash and turned him loose. At the cdc. Yesterday on Air Force One, reporters asked Trump if he's going to use Elon Musk and the Doge team to cut defense spending. And his answer was kind of very weird.
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Stephen Colbert
Specifically at the Department of Defense right now? They're looking at everything. And are they going to cut more natural? They're looking at, we're going to go into Fort Knox to make sure the gold is there. Okay, okay. That wasn't the question. Doctor, is my husband going to make it? We're going to Fort Knox to make sure the gold is there. So what the hell is Trump talking about? Follow me down the stupid hole, friends. Out on the fringe of the human brain, there are some old conspiracy theories about whether the government is being truthful about the amount of gold in the vault. And Musk has been obsessed with these conspiracy theories lately, tweeting, who is confirming that gold wasn't stolen from Fort Knox. And a livestream of Fort Knox would be Fire emoji. Fire emoji. That is the most middle aged dad energy I have ever seen. Hey, kids, I know you want to watch the new marvel movie, but you know what would be really skibidi? This YouTube walkthrough of colonial williamsburg. Before you commit, remember, they recently added the presbyterian meeting house. Dancing lady emoji. Dancing lady emoji. Bowl of soup emoji. But the inspector is on the case. Trump continued to baffle the baffled reporters. We're gonna go into fort Knox to.
Al Roker
Make sure the gold is there.
Stephen Colbert
The fabled fort Knox to make sure.
Al Roker
The gold is there. If the gold isn't there, we're gonna be very upset.
Stephen Colbert
And after that, we're gonna be very upset. And after that, we're gonna see if there's really silver at long john's. If not, you gotta check. No one's done an audit. No one's done an audit in a long time. I'm telling you, if the silver's not there, then I solve that placemat for nothing. We live, my friends, we live in truly paradigm shattering times. Which is why I was not surprised to be shocked by how startled I was that this week California introduced a bill to recognize bigfoot as the state's official cryptid. Well, that's strange and completely unnecessary. California already has a mystical furry creature, Randy quaid. The bill was introduced by state assembly member Chris rogers, whose dishes Mendocino and sonoma counties. A region known as the epicenter of bigfoot lore. Yes, for decades, people in sonoma have reported witnessing bigfoot on wine tours. We've all seen the chilling footage. No, if anybody orders merlot, I'm leaving. I am not drinking in merlot. If this bill passes, it will open the door for other states to officially celebrate their own local cryptids, like new mexico's jackalope devil and of course, the most hideous beast of all, the new York giuliani. This bill, I'm sure, seems like a big honor for squatches out there, But I have my concerns. So arboreal cryptids, meet me at the bigfoot cam. Greetings, sasquatches, Swamp apes, yeti, and bigfeet of all stripes. I know this bill may seem like a long overdue recognition, A chance to. But don't you fall for it, my furry, furry friends, because they're clearly hoping you'll show up at the signing ceremony. And that's when they'll trap you. Not in a net, but in California's shallow celebrity culture. Sure, you'll enjoy fame at first. The tabloid drama the brief marriage to j. Lo, the scientology celebrity center. But ultimately, it will leave you empty and distracted from every Bigfoot's primary mission, protecting the gold at Fort Knox. We got a great show for you tonight coming up. Al Roker.
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Al Roker
And it does without me lifting a.
Stephen Colbert
Finger so I can get in more squats anywhere I can. 1, 2, 3 will that be cash or credit?
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Stephen Colbert
Hey everybody. Thank you Marcus. Welcome back my friends. You Know my first guest as America's favorite weatherman. He's been with NBC for over 45 years. Please welcome to the Late Show, Al Roker. Good to see you.
Al Roker
Well, this is a much better time.
Stephen Colbert
To be working than at 5 o'clock in the morning. That's what I like about you. Morning, folks.
Al Roker
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
I love talking to you because you know what it's like to do the grind every day.
Al Roker
Every day. Yeah, Every day. We're up. We're up. The best part about my job is I get the first crack at the donuts. So that works.
Stephen Colbert
Oh, all right. That's not a metaphor. Literal.
Jeff Probst
Literally literal donuts.
Stephen Colbert
All right. I got a little bit of a bone to pick with you.
Al Roker
Yes, sir.
Stephen Colbert
As much as I'm a fan is that, you know, my wife Evie and I were on the Today show a couple months back just to promote our cookbook. And no Al Roker. What is the point of going to the Today show? They're all lovely, but there's no Al Roker.
Al Roker
Well, I didn't.
Stephen Colbert
Where were you? What did I do? What's the beef between the two of us that you decided.
Al Roker
I knew what was going to happen. Everybody loved Evie. I mean, she was fantastic. Yes, but they were surprised that you charged for the meal.
Stephen Colbert
Hey, man.
Al Roker
You know. And then for themselves, the flask, you know.
Stephen Colbert
Well, you know, you also have a cookbook, which you brought this out this past fall. Was this this past fall?
Al Roker
Yeah, yeah. Yes. October. Just about the same time as yours.
Stephen Colbert
Ours was past fall, too.
Al Roker
There you go.
Stephen Colbert
Funny, but there you go. But here's yours. There you go. Here's. There it is. It's Al Roker's Recipes to Live By. Had you done a cookbook before?
Al Roker
You know, I actually had. I wrote one. Al Roker's Big Bad Book of Barbecue about.
Stephen Colbert
They're incredibly difficult.
Al Roker
Yeah, yeah. It's really rough. And my daugh is a professional chef. And she said, dad, let's do a cookbook together. I said, no, but as you know, as your children keep on nagging you. So I said, here's the deal. You write the recipes. Cause you're a chef. I'll write the headnotes. I'll do the easy stuff. But it was great. Cause my mom never wrote down recipes. My grandmother did. So she had to literally reverse engineer all the foods I would talk to her about. She remembered eating some of my mother's food. But she came up, she did just such. I'm so proud of her. Courtney Roker.
Stephen Colbert
So, Courtney, your daughter is so she's a professional.
Al Roker
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
But do you cook?
Al Roker
I do. I love to cook. I cook, you know, probably four or five nights a week.
Stephen Colbert
What's your go to? What do you enjoy?
Al Roker
My go to in. This is my mother's oxtail stew. That's right. And boy, can they holler.
Stephen Colbert
You gotta catch em first.
Al Roker
Yeah, it's rough.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah.
Al Roker
And then my mother's pineapple upside down kit.
Stephen Colbert
You don't see that. You don't see that enough.
Al Roker
It's making a big comeback.
Stephen Colbert
Do you put the cherry inside of a little pineapple and you turn it back over?
Al Roker
For the longest time, I thought pineapple actually grew in a can, came with a little hole in the middle, you know, who do.
Stephen Colbert
What is it you like about cooking?
Al Roker
You know, it's like a love language. You know, you cook for the people you love and you provide them a meal and then they have to clean the dishes.
Stephen Colbert
That's nice. Our book again. Again, our book. Does this Taste Funny? Our book, it's a lot of low country recipes from Charleston, South Carolina.
Al Roker
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
Now in your book, There you go. Al Roker's Recipes to Live By. Do you have any low country recipes? Do you have any Southern recipes?
Al Roker
I have shrimp and grits.
Stephen Colbert
Okay. We call it shrimp and hominy in our book because how many do you get? Thank you very much. Thank you very much. This means I come to get to do the weather on your show. Now, I would love that.
Al Roker
You are absolutely invited.
Stephen Colbert
Thank you very much. I don't know how those things work. Like the thing that you. Because you're not even seeing what you're pointing at, Right?
Al Roker
Well, you know, interestingly enough, that's what we call the chroma key. A green screen.
Stephen Colbert
Yes.
Al Roker
And in fact, the first time I saw a green screen was in this studio in 1969 for the Sullivan Show. I was here for the Ed Sullivan show.
Stephen Colbert
No way.
Al Roker
Yes. October 1969. Santana was performing. They had just released their first album. They had a giant green sheet. And I was up in the balcony and I'm watching and I see them performing. But then you looked at the monitors and you saw this psychedelic stuff behind them. And I was like, what is this magic?
Stephen Colbert
Wow.
Al Roker
And then I ended up being a weatherman doing weather in front of a green screen.
Stephen Colbert
As I said, I love that they.
Al Roker
Were overwhelmed by that story.
Stephen Colbert
I know. It's a great story. Yes. Don't cut that story. Don't you dare cut that story out of the edit. I walk if the green screen story doesn't stay in. I walk. Yeah, okay. I love the book. It's a beautiful book.
Al Roker
Thank you.
Stephen Colbert
I think everybody should buy this book. Here's my problem with it.
Al Roker
What's your problem?
Stephen Colbert
Okay, here's your problem. Take a look at this. Okay. Shrimp tikka masala.
Al Roker
Yeah.
Stephen Colbert
Delicious recipe. Look at those shrimp. Look at that. Yeah, they still have the tails on the shrimp. What the hell, Al Roker, why do you put tails. Tails on shrimp in the sauce?
Al Roker
I've got tails on these shrimp.
Stephen Colbert
I know, I know. You also have tails on these shrimp, too. You have tails on your shrimp and hominy shrimp. What the hell's going on? Am I supposed to roll up my sleeves, put on a poncho and detail the shrimp myself? Why would you? They're like toenail clippings. Al. What? Would you leave a hoof on a burger? Why would you do that? Such a beautiful book. Destroyed.
Al Roker
It's a little handle. You pick them up, but you don't eat.
Stephen Colbert
You don't eat shrimp and grits with your hands.
Al Roker
Sure you do.
Stephen Colbert
You do not. You just grop.
Al Roker
You should try it. It's so good.
Stephen Colbert
You disappoint me, Al Roker. Buy the book. It's a fantastic book. It's a fantastic book. Yeah, exactly.
Al Roker
There you go.
Stephen Colbert
We have to take a quick break. We'll be right back with more Al Roker, everybody. My dad works in B2B marketing. He came by my school for career day and said he was a big roas man. Then he told everyone how much he loved calculating his return on ad spend. My friends still laugh at me to this day.
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Stephen Colbert
The one, the only, Al Roker. Al. Okay, let's talk about something serious for a second, okay? And that is weather. You know, the weather. What is going on with our weather? Why is it negative 60 in parts of this theater?
Al Roker
Well, you know, the interesting thing is. That's right, the interesting. You know, people say, well, if the planet's warming, why Is it so cold? Well, the fact of the matter is, we have this thing up at the Arctic called the polar vortex. And it's stuck up there usually, but when we get warmer conditions, pushes up and it weakens the vortex, and that allows the cold air to come down, so.
Stephen Colbert
Because it's like popping the balloon.
Al Roker
Exactly. And then it just all drains out.
Stephen Colbert
Wow.
Al Roker
You know, kind of like that. That giant scrotum story you were telling. So.
Stephen Colbert
Yeah, you can use that tomorrow morning. You should use that tomorrow morning on the Today show to explain why it's so full. It all has to do with the giant scrotum.
Al Roker
There you go. It all comes back to that.
Stephen Colbert
Just say some of my weather is from Stephen Colbert.
Al Roker
Yeah, exactly.
Stephen Colbert
All right. So is this gonna. Is this like a last hurrah of coldness and then we get to have some.
Al Roker
Yes, now we'll start to warm up again, and it'll be. And we will roast upon the fires a giant groundhog.
Stephen Colbert
What's the best thing about being a weatherman? Doing the weather.
Al Roker
Yeah. Every day is different. Every day is different. You get to hang out with people. You get to do things. I love this job. It's the best thing going.
Stephen Colbert
I understand that you do something I have rituals I do before the show. There's certain things that I do every time. And that you have a tradition, a ritual you do before the show. What is it you do before you go out to do the Today show?
Al Roker
Well, there was a television show that was, you know, it was kind of like Masterpiece Theater, only a little different. It was from the 19, late 70s, early 80s, called the a Team. Oh, sure.
Stephen Colbert
Sir George Peppard.
Al Roker
George Peppard. Mr. T. Dirk Benedict. Anyway, I. Every morning I play the A Team theme and recite the beginning opening.
Stephen Colbert
Like a pledge.
Al Roker
Yes. In 1972, a crack commando unit was sent to prison by a military court for a crime they didn't commit. These men promptly escaped from a maximum security stockade to the Los Angeles underground. Today, still wanted by the government, they survive as soldiers of fortune. If you have a problem, if no one else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire the A Team.
Stephen Colbert
Well done.
Al Roker
Well done. Thank you.
Stephen Colbert
Thank you. Yes, yes. And that we all kind of. That gets me kind of juiced up. Inspiration at the beginning of the day, little motivation. You've been at today since 96.
Al Roker
Full time since 1996.
Stephen Colbert
Replace the greatest. One of the things that I love. I'm sorry I stepped on that. What'd you say?
Al Roker
Just to replace The Great Willard Scott.
Stephen Colbert
Of course. Great Willard Scott. When you turn 100, do you want to be honored by Smuckers?
Al Roker
Yes. Yes. I actually want to. I want to be cremated and mixed into some jelly.
Stephen Colbert
I want to be a fluffernutter.
Al Roker
Ooh, look at that.
Stephen Colbert
So one of the things, one of the privileges of doing this job is to see the musicians who perform here on this stage. But the Today show's got a fantastic tradition of who are some of the best musical acts that you've seen out there in the plaza.
Al Roker
Like I said, we've had Santana, we've had Beyonce, we've had Taylor Swift, we've had Stevie Wonder, we've had Prince.
Stephen Colbert
Wow.
Al Roker
He came, in fact, for Bryant Gumbel's last day and came dressed as Bryant Gumbel. He had a suit on and walked around going, why? Why?
Stephen Colbert
Prince had a bright Gumbel impression.
Al Roker
He did. He did.
Stephen Colbert
He is talented.
Al Roker
He is very talented.
Stephen Colbert
You've had some health scares over the years. 2020, you had a cancer scare, prostate cancer. And then 2022, you had a blood clot. How you look in the pink? How are you feeling now?
Al Roker
I'm about to die. This is my last performance.
Stephen Colbert
You hide it well.
Al Roker
I hope you've all had a good time.
Stephen Colbert
There you go.
Al Roker
I feel great. You know, one of the things I've been very fortunate in that I have great health care, which not everybody in this country does. But I've also got advocate. I had an advocate. My wife Deborah Roberts, my daughter Leila, my daughter Courtney. My brother and sisters are both in the healthcare industry. So they actually knew what to say and what to do, and they gave me the wherewithal to just get better.
Stephen Colbert
Well, you not only have gotten better, you care about other people.
Al Roker
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
You've got a new app that's available now called Start Today. You're the app's chief motivation officer.
Al Roker
Yes.
Stephen Colbert
All right, I'll bite. Motivate me, Roker.
Al Roker
Well, here's the thing. Look at me. Look at you.
Stephen Colbert
What does the app do?
Al Roker
The app, it gives you everything you need, like nutrition, motivation, wellness kind of things. It gives you exercises, gives you dietary information. You can plan meals. I mean, I get the app, I.
Stephen Colbert
Be a better man.
Al Roker
You'll be a better man. And you know who will. Thank you.
Stephen Colbert
That's right. Get the tails off those shrimp. That's it. No. You can see Al weekday mornings on NBC's Today. And you can download the Start Today app wherever you get your apps. Al Roker, everybody. Thank you for listening to the late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives.
Jeff Probst
Survivor 48 is here. And alongside it, we're bringing you a brand new season of On Fire, the only official Survivor podcast. If you're a Survivor super fan, you won't want to miss this deep dive into every episode where we break down how we design the game, the biggest moves, your burning questions. It's the only podcast that gives you inside access to Survivor that nobody else can listen to. On Fire, the official Survivor Podcast with me, Jeff Probst, every Wednesday after the show, wherever you get your podcast.
Podcast Summary: The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
Episode: Al Roker | King Con
Release Date: February 21, 2025
Host: Stephen Colbert
Guest: Al Roker, NBC’s Chief Meteorologist
In this episode of The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert, host Stephen Colbert welcomes his longtime friend and renowned weatherman, Al Roker. The duo delves into a blend of humor, current events, and personal anecdotes, providing listeners with an engaging and insightful conversation.
The episode kicks off with Stephen Colbert humorously addressing the extreme cold weather gripping America. He personifies the cold, jesting about the necessity of audience members having a "buddy" to share warmth with during frigid nights.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (00:00): "It's cold out there and it is cold in here. I hope everyone in the audience has remembered to find an audience buddy in case you need to cut them open and crawl inside for warmth."
Al Roker joins the conversation to explain the scientific phenomenon behind the extreme temperatures.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (22:19): "That's right, the interesting thing is, we have this thing up at the Arctic called the polar vortex..."
He clarifies misconceptions about global warming by describing how the weakening of the polar vortex allows cold Arctic air to plunge southward.
Stephen Colbert segues into discussing New York City's introduction of congestion pricing aimed at reducing traffic and emissions. He praises the initiative, noting its positive impact on traffic reduction and local businesses.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (02:15): "January saw a 7.9% reduction in traffic. And according to the governor's office, Broadway shows are selling out and foot traffic to local businesses is spiking."
The conversation takes a humorous turn as Colbert personifies former President Donald Trump as a "king," referencing Trump's tweets and antics surrounding the congestion pricing debate.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (04:04): "America will never bow before any king not named Burger. For he hath made us all part of the royal family."
Al Roker adds to the banter, emphasizing Governor Kathy Hochul's defiance against Trump's mocking tweets.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (06:29): "The cameras are staying on. Governor, I love your defiance, but you know Trump loves cameras."
Stephen introduces a satirical segment about California introducing a bill to recognize Bigfoot as the state's official cryptid. He humorously critiques the move, suggesting it paves the way for other states to declare their own mythical creatures as official symbols.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (08:05): "Greetings, sasquatches, swamp apes, yeti, and bigfeet of all stripes. Don't you fall for it, my furry, furry friends..."
Transitioning to a lighter topic, Stephen and Al discuss Al Roker’s cookbook, Al Roker's Recipes to Live By. They engage in playful ribbing over the presence of shrimp tails in the recipes, blending humor with genuine praise for the book.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (19:32): "Look at those shrimp. Look at that. Yeah, they still have the tails on the shrimp. What the hell, Al Roker, why do you put tails on?"
Al explains his approach to cooking, sharing personal stories about his family's culinary traditions and collaboration with his daughter, Courtney Roker.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (17:34): "You cook for the people you love and you provide them a meal and then they have to clean the dishes."
Al Roker reminisces about his early experiences with green screens during his time on The Today Show in the 1970s. He shares an anecdote about witnessing Santana's performance and the magic of chroma key technology.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (23:24): "Every morning I play the A Team theme and recite the beginning opening."
They both laugh over the nostalgia, with Stephen highlighting the rituals that ground their daily routines.
The conversation takes a heartfelt turn as Stephen addresses Al’s health challenges, including his battle with prostate cancer and a subsequent blood clot. Al shares his gratitude for his support system and advanced healthcare, emphasizing resilience and the importance of advocacy.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (25:43): "I have great health care, which not everybody in this country does. But I've also got advocate. I had an advocate."
Towards the end of the episode, Al promotes his new app, Start Today, positioning himself as the Chief Motivation Officer. The app offers resources on nutrition, wellness, and motivation, aiming to help users improve their daily lives.
Notable Quote:
Al Roker (26:45): "The app gives you everything you need, like nutrition, motivation, wellness kind of things. It gives you exercises, gives you dietary information. You can plan meals."
Stephen Colbert wraps up the episode by thanking Al Roker for his candid and entertaining participation. He encourages listeners to check out Al’s cookbook and app, highlighting the valuable insights shared during their conversation.
Notable Quote:
Stephen Colbert (27:02): "You can download the Start Today app wherever you get your apps. Al Roker, everybody. Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert."
This episode masterfully blends humor with substantive discussions, providing listeners with both entertainment and valuable insights. Whether you're a fan of The Late Show or new to the podcast, Stephen Colbert and Al Roker deliver a memorable and informative conversation that resonates on multiple levels.